6 Egyptian soldiers killed in Sinai attack

Six Egyptian soldiers were killed in a "terrorist" attack in restive North Sinai. Illustration

Six Egyptian soldiers were killed in a "terrorist" attack in restive North Sinai, where jihadists are active, the army's spokesman said on Friday.

"Terrorist elements attacked a security post in El-Arish with hand grenades and firearms," Tamer el-Rifai wrote on his Facebook page.

"The assailants fled and many were killed and wounded," he said, without giving further details.

A jihadist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula has killed hundreds of troops and policemen since the army ousted Egypt's elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, with an Islamic State group affiliate claiming responsibility for many attacks.